by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which school to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Iowa Schools For The Money For Those Getting Aid for an Associate ranking - to help you make that decision. Due to the amount of income-based financial aid available, many 'high-priced' schools are more affordable than you think.
In This Year's Value Report:
We analyzed 18 schools across Iowa to determine which have the best value Associate Degree programs. Our ranking for the best value schools is based on objective factors. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
To calculate the value of a school in our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking, we first consider its average net price, which is the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that that the student receives. In addition, the overall quality of a school is important to ensure a good education, not just how much it costs.
To make it into this list a school must offer a quality education like the schools in our Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considers factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To learn more, visit our best value ranking methodology page.
You can scroll down to see the top schools for this ranking, but you may also want to view some of the other ranking methods listed below.
Know what field you want to major in? Make sure you check out our best value schools by major. In addition, you can select one of the links below to see the best value colleges for other degree levels.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Des Moines Area Community College tops this year’s ranking as the best value (with aid) school for associate degrees in Iowa for overall quality. DMACC is a public institution located in Ankeny, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Des Moines Area Community College is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $9,667 a year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Marshalltown Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. Marshalltown Community College is a small public school located in Marshalltown, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Marshalltown Community College is ranked #11 for quality in the state of Iowa. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $7,068.
The quality degree programs at Southeastern Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa. Southeastern Community College is a public institution located in West Burlington, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Southeastern Community College is ranked #15 for quality in the state of Iowa. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $5,926.
A rank of #4 on our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list means Western Iowa Tech Community College is a great place for students working on their degree. Western Iowa Tech Community College is located in Sioux City, Iowa and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
Western Iowa Tech Community College has the honor of being ranked #8 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $8,282 a year.
Read full value report on Western Iowa Tech Community College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeast Iowa Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. NICC is a small public school situated in Calmar, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Northeast Iowa Community College is ranked #7 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $8,570 a year.
With a ranking of #6, Kirkwood Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. This fairly large public school is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Not only is Kirkwood Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in Iowa for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $8,740.
With a ranking of #7, Indian Hills Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. Indian Hills Community College is a small public school located in Ottumwa, Iowa.
Not only is Indian Hills Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #12 in Iowa for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $7,337 a year.
With a ranking of #8, Iowa Central Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. Iowa Central Community College is located in Fort Dodge, Iowa and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
Iowa Central Community College has the honor of being ranked #5 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $10,507.
Iowa Western Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #9. Iowa Western Community College is a public institution located in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Iowa Western Community College is ranked #4 for quality in the state of Iowa. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $11,403.
With a ranking of #10, Eastern Iowa Community College District did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is a public institution located in Davenport, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Eastern Iowa Community College District is ranked #13 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $8,743 a year.
Read full value report on Eastern Iowa Community College District
Southwestern Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #11. SWCC is a small public school situated in Creston, Iowa.
Southwestern Community College has the honor of being ranked #14 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $9,766 a year.
Northwest Iowa Community College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking. Located in Sheldon, Iowa, the school is a small public institution.
Not only is Northwest Iowa Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #9 in Iowa for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $11,613 a year.
North Iowa Area Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking. Mason City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is North Iowa Area Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #16 in Iowa for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $8,712 a year.
Hawkeye Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking. Hawkeye Community College is a public institution located in Waterloo, Iowa.
Not only is Hawkeye Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #10 in Iowa for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $11,359.
With a ranking of #15, Ellsworth Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. Ellsworth is a public institution located in Iowa Falls, Iowa.
Not only is Ellsworth Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #18 in Iowa for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $10,623 a year.
With a ranking of #16, Waldorf University did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. Forest City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Waldorf University is ranked #3 for quality in the state of Iowa. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $21,483.
Iowa Lakes Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking. Located in Estherville, Iowa, the school is a small public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Iowa Lakes Community College is ranked #17 for quality in the state of Iowa. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $12,294.
Upper Iowa University landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking. UIU is located in Fayette, Iowa and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Upper Iowa University has the honor of being ranked #2 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $22,888.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 18 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.